The Uncertainties of War
by Arianette
Summary: The Fourth Shinobi World War had commenced after his death. After given a second chance, he would make sure no one would have to face war again. To his surprise he finds love along the way. Takes place after Manga Chapter 582.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Hello everyone! This is fiction takes place after Chapter 582 of the manga. So it is full of SPOILERS! If you are not up to date with the manga and don't want to get spoiled I suggest either catching up or waiting. It takes everything that has happened in the manga so far into account. Though after Chapter 582 everything will go the way I plan it, so if something happens in Chapter 583 and so on, it may or may not be included in this. Also, some things may be changed here and there to suit my story. According to the manga, the people brought back by Kabuto's jutsu are wooden clones. However, in my story, Itachi's body has been preserved and used instead. I may also include characters or things from filler episodes, as well. I'll probably explain beforehand in an author's note for that though.

Plot: The Fourth Shinobi World War had commenced after his death. However, with this second chance, he would make sure no one would have to face war again. To his surprise he finds love along the way.

A fair warning, this fiction will contain some gore.

If you have any questions, please ask!

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**Prologue**

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_War. It affected all five senses. __The touch one felt fighting to death with calloused hands. __The taste of the iron in blood one tasted in one's mouth. _The sound of strangled screams and the cries of children in terror. The sight of lifeless bodies and thick crimson liquid that stained the ground. ___The smell of decay and death. _These were the harsh realities of war.

_However, the worst part of war didn't affect the five senses. _

_At the age of four, Uchiha Itachi had already witnessed more than any child ever should have. In fact, he had seen much more than any of the adults who had lived in his village had. Albeit it was in a different way than the heroes of his village had. The child had the misfortune of seeing the sight of the horrifying battlefield. He had seen, tasted, heard, touched, and smelled war. But the twinge in his heart and the tormenting images whirling in his mind was much worse than what he experienced with his sense. _

_As a result, at the young age of four, the prodigy knew he would spend his life fighting to prevent anyone from seeing such gruesome terror. Most of all, he would spend his life protecting his little brother from this vicious cycle of pointless human killing._

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**Present Time**

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Kabuto had confessed his reasons for participating in the war. The orphan had detested all the countries who had use him as spy, nothing more than a pawn in their dirty politics. Much like Sasuke, he has an agenda for revenge. Itachi couldn't help but pity someone, like him, that had been so affected by the war. However if it meant that he was going to disturb the peace Itachi had worked so hard to maintain, he wouldn't spare any mercy.

Just as Sasuke summoned Susano'o to protect himself, Itachi had activated Izanami once again. Suddently, the rock ground at Kabuto's feet had morphed into a half figure of Zetsu.

"He's ready." The mysterious Akatsuki member informed his Snake Sage comrade.

Kabuto flicked his tongue across his lips, "It looks like we have to cut this sooner than I hoped."

Aware that Kabuto planned to flee, Itachi charged forward, but in an instant the snake man was gone. All trace of his chakra went away immediately and Itachi could only assume that Zetsu aided in transporting him somewhere else, probably to Madara.

"Coward." Sasuke growled.

"It seems that Madara has other plans for him." Itachi apprised.

However, not having time for idle talk, Sasuke turned the conversation in a different direction "Why didn't you ever tell me?" He demanded, having already forgotten about the brief battle with Kabuto. The cave they stood in instantly filled with tension. It was a question that Itachi had expected, though he was sure this wasn't the only question that Sasuke wanted to ask. There was so much left unsaid between both brothers.

"I wanted to protect you from what I had seen. I never wanted you to have to live through the atrocities I witnessed." He replied.

"Because that was better than what you already made me live through? Mom, dad…our entire clan."

"It had to be done."

His calm expression twisted,"Don't give me that bullshit Itachi," he yelled vehemently. "You killed our entire clan to save Konaha. They hated our clan and they all hate you. The Uchiha's are scum in their eyes and yet it was an Uchiha who has protected them this far." He laughed maniacally, "Until now that is."

"You should not be involved with Madara. He's only using you. As I said before, you are right to choose your own path, however, it is foolish to choose a path of revenge. You will never succeed."

"For years I had to deal with the pain of being alone. I trained for years so I could finally kill you. Just to find out the man I was after isn't the person I thought he was. All of them are happy because of the sacrifices you made and yet, they hate you. But I'll make them pay."

"I am to blame for our clan's demise."

"I killed that bastard Danzo and the rest of that petty village will follow him to the grave."

"The path of revenge will not revive our clan."

"For our clan…for you." He said almost inaudibly, ignoring Itachi's self blame.

"Sasuke…." The elder Uchiha muttered, surprised with how low he spoke. For the first time since he first met up with younger brother, he'd seen the compassionate side of his brother. It wasn't too late, Sasuke was still Sasuke. He searched Sasuke's eyes, trying to understand voiceless messages. Itachi knew he made a mistake trying to create the right path for Sasuke. He inched his way closer to him, his little brother shrinking from their close proximity. To his sibling's surprise, Itachi wrapped his long slender arms around his brothers muscular form. He had grown up into a strong man from the little boy he once knew.

Sasuke tensed under his brother's embrace. This interaction was different than what he had felt in years, it was…warm. For years the only thing Sasuke felt was his cold heart and it almost felt like it was melting away from the intensity of the hug. Suddenly, he felt hot, salty tears well up in eyes and slide along his cheeks. However, just as quickly as the droplets fell from his eyes, his anger resurfaced and with great force he pushed Itachi away from him.

"I don't want your pity." He roared. "My mind has been set. I will destroy Konoha."

"Then as a shinobi of the Leaf, we will become enemies."

The remark had caught Sasuke off guard. Itachi was the most important person to him, he was not his brother's enemy, nor did he want to deal with the pain of having to fight his older brother again. The memories of their battle still haunted him.

"Konoha is my enemy." He walked toward the opening of the cave, stopping in his tracks to briefly look back at Itachi. " I will show them the power of the Uchiha." He declared and he leapt off leaving Itachi where their unexpected embrace had occurred.

Itachi didn't try to stop him, for not all hope was lost. He knew it was impossible for him alone to change Sasukes ideals, but he was certain that with Naruto, the younger Uchiha would find himself again.

There was no need to stop him, not yet. Sasuke would one day find the path Itachi had hoped he would walk.

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Questions? Comments? Opinions? Remarks? This was just a prologue, later chapters will be much longer.

As I said, Itasaku will eventually happen, but that is a bit later on.

If you have the time, please review!

Thanks xo


	2. The Battle

**_I do not own Naruto all of these wonderful characters belong to Kishimoto. Though you obviously know that or else I wouldn't be writing Fanfiction._**

**_This chapter is about twice as long as the Prologue. But, I was wondering if you think it should be any longer?_**

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From branch to branch, they leapt swiftly through the lush green forest. Their steps only increasing in momentum, as they got closer to their destination. Alongside her, were Lee, Shikamaru, Neji, Tenten, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Ino, and Choji. They had left their posts immediately upon hearing Naruto needed their help. The legendary Uchiha Madara who had been the cause of the nine-tailed fox attacking Konoha sixteen years ago, was after that same beast the Fourth Hokage had sealed into Naruto when he was baby.

This was the battle that would determine the fate of their world and she knew her and the rest of the Konoha 11 were ready to fight alongside Naruto.

_Naruto._ She thought, how long had it been since she first met him? The boy she once loathed had now become her best friend and someone she admired greatly. He was an inspiration to her in many ways because he was everything she was not. He kept pushing on and never giving up. Naruto had always been there for her when she needed him the most and even when she didn't. For once she could finally repay the favor and protect him as he always protected her.

Briefly, Sakura looked over to her comrades, they were all focused on the site ahead of them, only seven kilometers until they reached the battlefield. Only seven kilometers until they would possibly have to fight to their death. They were more than prepared to risk their lives for Naruto as he always had done for them. She gulped at the thought of losing any one of her friends to the enemy. She was never sure why Uchiha Madara had concealed his face with a mask if he already told everyone his identity. What she was sure of was from being near him when they had last met, was the mysterious shinobi harbored great, dark power. It would take all they had to defeat someone like him.

The masked Uchiha was with Sasuke when they had the misfortune of running into him. It had already been a few months since that unpleasant encounter. Thinking of that time, she realized she still couldn't stomach the thought that someone she loved dearly had tried to kill her. He had lost sight of who he was long ago. He had lost himself to the abyss of revenge and hatred. The Sasuke that was part of Team 7 seemed almost like a fabrication her mind had created to fill in the gaps of her empty life. He was a distant memory.

Could she forgive him, if she ever saw him again? She shook her head. What was she doing? In only a couple of minutes she and her friends were going to fight the battle of their life. The last thing she needed to do was think about _him_.

Tranced by her thoughts, she hadn't realized they had finally reached their destination. She gasped at the sight ahead of them. The destruction greeted her as soon as her eyes passed over the landscape. The brilliantly green forest they had just sprinted through all but dissipated into this vast expanse of nothingness. Colossal craters deformed the ground and the sky had been darkened a shade by all the smoke in the air. The only life form that seemed to exist was her teammates and herself. Naruto had been standing with Kakashi, Gai, and the man who had the eight-tailed beast sealed within him, B. Reading their chakra, it was clear that the men were terribly exhausted, but such could be visible from their disheveled hair and rumpled clothing.

Keeping their guard up, the men had greeted her and the rest of the Konoha 11 with their backs towards them. "We're glad you guys are here." Kakashi informed them. From the quick remark, she could hear the fatigue in his voice. However, despite being heavily enervated, he was still in defense, ready for any thing that threatened them. It was something that she admired about Kakashi-sensei, he always fought to the end and never gave up. He reminded her of Naruto in a lot ways.

"Keep your guard up. This guy is challenging our youth." Gai added for good measure, earning a displeased comment from Lee.

Sakura's eyes had scanned over Naruto. She had been surprised he had not said anything since they arrived. He was clearly focused on the masked man ahead of them.

Uchiha Madara, whose face was once covered by an orange mask, now had his face adorned by a white mask encircled with black stripe detailing. His old trademark disguise had previously only shown his right eye, but now, both eyes were visible.

"What happened here?" Ino asked. It was a question they had all been wondering.

"That guy in the mask released the seven tailed beasts." Naruto answered, receiving collected gasps from all of the Konoha 11, including herself.

"But we got them, girl!" B exclaimed, "And Naruto made that motherfucka in the mask feel stupid, yo. Bakayaro, Konayaro." B rapped.

Shikamaru sighed. "This is troublesome."

Just as everyone regained their composure they realized their enemy had been watching them, calculating his next move. "I see your friends have joined you, Kyuubi vessel. It must mean you are in fact in a weakened state to need aid from such unsightly shinobis," the man in the mask scoffed.

"We'll show you unsightly, right Akamaru!' Kiba yelled out, ready to take charge with his canine companion, until Naruto held his arms out, blocking Kiba from stepping forward.

"Stay back!" Naruto cried out. "We can't just charge at him. He's not like any one we've ever faced." Naruto added, clearing up the reason for his outburst.

Naruto had definitely grown up since their D-rank missions all those years ago. Sakura remembered when they actually got their first S-rank mission and had to fight Zabuza. Naruto was more than willing to jump in battle without thinking and here he was years later protecting his friends from doing a similar bold and foolish move.

"I'm flattered you think so highly of me, Kyuubi vessel." Madara once again mocked. He continued with an amused tone, "But, it's only fair if I give you and your friends some of my friends to play with." Emerging from the smoke that had clouded the sky, a cloaked figured appeared. The figure's head was covered by his attire's hood. The shadow casted over his face from the hood, veiled his face, making it impossible to distinguish who he was. Sakura had a bad feeling about him. She could feel the hairs on the back of her necks stand and goosebumps of her fair skin rise. She had felt this dark feeling before, it was almost suffocating how evil the new mysterious enemy's presence had been. It reminded her during the time of the Chuunin exams, when Orochimaru showed up and attacked Sasuke. It was such a cold, dark feeling and she felt her heart thump against her chest rapidly.

Several hundred figures had also loomed from the murky fog, it was the army that resembled the other half of the Flytrap-looking guy they encountered in the forest with Madara. This army was the same one her comrades had fought only a few hours earlier.

"Teme!" Naruto cursed.

The men who were, at first, walking from the curtain of smoke were now running towards them at an alarming pace. All of the shinobi's immediately assumed their fighting stance. Before they could help Naruto fight Madara, they would have to defeat his army first.

The leaf shinobis demonstrated their jutsus they had trained and worked hard to improve over the last few years and even in the last few days during the war. Despite being overwhelmed with so many enemies, Konoha's greatest shinobis had the upper hand by having already experienced this same army in battle before.

Sakura remained a considerable distance away and watched the battle erupt from a far. The first thing she was taught, as a medical ninja, was to stay alive to heal her comrades and make sure they did not die. It was tough, as shinobi, as well as a friend, to not be able to engage in battle while all of her friends were risking their life. Though, she knew it would be worse if she did engage in battle, she would be completely useless to her friends if she got injured. Of course, that didn't mean she was going to sit idly and watch her friends fight. She was still a kunoichi after all, and she would act as support if any of her friends needed it. However, as far as she could see, despite their small team, they were putting up a good fight.

Sakura watched over Madara and his bizarre companion who, to her surprise stood back and didn't interfere in the fight. Sakura was shocked to see Madara was holding his right arm as if it were bothering him. Was he injured during the battle with Naruto? She wondered.

Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru worked as a team to attack several men of the strange militia. Shikamaru froze several of them in their tracks with his shadow technique and Choji used his partial size jutsu, making himself grow much larger than he already was to beat Madara's soldiers into the ground. Neji and Hinata worked alongside each other, using the hakke kuhekisho jutsu. The two gentle fists shinobis sent huge waves of chakra into the enemy. They incised and mangled their Madara's soldiers with the great force coming from their gentle hand motions.

On his scroll, Sai quickly wrote ink techniques on the parchment that had usually been rolled up. Several of his tiger ink creations came to life, rushing towards the group of warriors. The tigers swarmed their targets, tearing and shredding them into pieces. Kiba, together with Akamaru, used his gatsuga jutsu. The Inuzuka ferociously spun and knocked his enemy onto the ground while Tenten released several weapons at a rapid speed, quickly murdering those who had fallen to the ground.

Being from the Aburame clan, Shino was experienced in being able to manipulate several bugs to his advantage. The bug wielding shinobi had swarmed the enemies' bodies with microscopic insects. The poison from the millions of bugs attacked the pseudo nervous system of the figures, paralyzing them and eventually killing them. Lee alongside Gai used their simple, yet very effective taijutsu to attack, Kakashi used chidori, and B used his sword techniques to take on the other part of the army.

Though it was Naruto who had been more impressive than all, he thrusted several of his rasenshurikens forward. The blue blade-like chakras sliced through several of Madara's pawns at once, eliminating countless of their opponents quickly.

But there was something terribly wrong. Although they experienced fight these guys before, the ease in which they were taking on these guys was remarkable. Surely, they were skilled shinobis, but their overwhelming attack on the army was nothing like it had been only a few hours before. The mindless drones were either too slow in defending themselves or they weren't trying to attack at all. But, why? What on Earth was going on? Perhaps...Sakura's pink brow furrowed.

This was a part of Madara's plan.

She felt _so_ stupid! How could she not have realized it until now? He was purposely distracting them all from the real task at hand. He was trying to tire them out and quickly deplete their chakra. Her thoughts quickly raced back to earlier when the man in the mask was clutching his right arm. _Ahh, so, he is injured!_ Sending this army was buying him time to replenish his lost chakra.

Although the favor appeared to be in the hands of the leaf shinobis, the army didn't seem to lessen any. There were still over seventy-six enemies, as well, as the masked man and his peculiar partner. If this continued, there was no way they were going to be able to defeat Madara.

Suddenly a group of the strange looking warriors came rushing towards her. Sakura jumped back creating room in between them and giving her enough time to concentrate the chakra into her fists. As she punched forward, the concentration from the chakra welled up in her hands successfully punctured through the heads of her targets, killing them one by one. It really was easy to take the enemy out, if enough chakra was used. This only confirmed her suspicion of Madara's plan.

This dance with death had dragged on longer than they had hoped and even though Madara's army wasn't particularly strong, there was just so many of them, and if they hadn't already been drained from battling earlier, they wouldn't have gotten tired this quickly. Even Naruto who was eager to fight at the beginning of this now seemingly neverending clash, was beginning to get worn out.

They had to think of something and they had to think of something fast.

* * *

Itachi had quickly sprinted through the forest. He needed to reach Kabuto and Madara immediately. He had a feeling they were now both in the same place. If only he had reached Kabuto sooner, he could have taken him out, now that he was with Madara this would cause a bigger problem for him. If Kabuto was with Madara, this could only mean that "Eye of the Moon plan" was soon going to initiate, if it hadn't already.

He frowned. He could only hope that Sasuke was else where, far away from wherever the enemy was. They were the reason Sasuke had found out about the truth of the Uchiha massacre. Sasuke shouldn't have found out about it the way he did. Itachi had an inkling that the elder Uchiha needed Sasuke in his plan, but for what, he was still unsure of. The man needed to be stopped and sent to the grave where he should have been put years ago. It was only fitting that it would be an Uchiha to send him there.

As he got closer to where the chakras were emanating from, Itachi masked his chakra, thinking it would be best to fall off of the enemy's radar. The last thing he needed was to be caught before he formed a proper plan. Several kilometers ahead, Itachi sensed the presence of fourteen different people. Among the chakras he sensed, he knew Naruto and B were still together and seemed to be in dire need of help. Itachi quickened his pace, he needed to get there before it was too late. Naruto and B were important to the "Eye of the Moon plan" and it was crucial that the bijuus were not released from their containers.

* * *

The shinobi continued to fight, not giving up despite desperately needing to rest.

"This is quite fun." The cloaked figure hissed, earning a laugh from the man in the mask beside him

Madara began walking towards Naruto. Though no one seemed to notice as they were still engaged in battle. "I'm going to need the demon inside you and your friend over there." He said, addressing Naruto who had been standing in the middle of the battlefield, much further out than where his friends had been standing.

"Over my dead body!" Naruto yelled.

"Exactly." Madara chuckled.

The figure in the cloak who marched alongside Madara halted and crouched down, laying a board, which resembled one of shogi in front of him. After moving a stone across the board, the ground shook and cracked from the intense vibrations, causing Naruto and the rest of his friends to stumble.

From the ground a fair colored, wooden coffin had materialized and the door on casket slowly opened. Naruto's eyes widened.

"Wh-wh-What the fuck is that?" Naruto screamed with an obvious rage in his voice.

"We figured you might want to have a reunion." The unknown man jeered. "Besides you didn't properly get to say goodbye."

"E-e-ro Sensei?" the blonde stuttered.

The shinobi who used the Ero Tensei, a technique that revived people, had gone too far. Naruto was enraged. How dare they disrespect Ero sensei like this? With a rasengan he charged towards the cloaked man crouched on the ground, but the Edo Tensei Jiraiya blocked Naruto's rasengan with one of his own. The intensity from the rasengans crashing into each other sent Naruto and his former teacher flying. Both men tumbled backwards on the hard ground, earning Naruto several cuts and bruises from the clash. Unlike Itachi and Nagato who had spoken to Naruto when they encountered each other, Jiraiya didn't say _anything._ It was then Naruto realized he was brought back differently than the others had. As of right now, Jiraiya wasn't Naruto's beloved sensei, he really was just another pawn in their game. As deplorable as it was, he knew they were smart enough to use Jiraiya against him, he was one of the most important people in Naruto's life and seeing him again, like _this_, had completely caught him off guard. He felt sick and angry. This wasn't expected. He was being completely controlled by the man who was crouched over the game board. Naruto clenched his teeth together, he had to get through to Jiraiya him. He _had_ to.

"Ero sensei!" Naruto shouted, "Sensei!" he continued to yell, hoping for his voice to get through to his dead teacher.

As Naruto begged him to overcome the jutsu, Madara rushed towards Naruto from behind, throwing chakra chains to bind him in place. The blonde shinobi quickly turned around when he felt the chains coming towards him. Just as the chains were inches from wrapping around him, black flames consumed them. The inky flames then travelled through the dry battleground, engulfing the remainder of Madara's army, charring them almost instantly. They then travelled like a line between Naruto and Madara, separating the man in the mask from getting any closer to him.

Naruto's jaw dropped and his eyes widened, he had seen these black flames before.

_Amaterasu._

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_**I hope that was somewhat interesting! If you have the time, please leave me a review. ^.^**_


	3. Vermilion

_**As always, I don't own Naruto, even though I wish I did. Someone suggested I write longer chapters, so I did. Which, I'm glad because I had a lot of fun writing this. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I had fun writing it!**_

_**The battle continues in this one, but it's not the entire chapter but crucial to the progression of the story, so bare with me if you're not a person who likes action in fictions! T******__here is a lot of dialogue in this, so I hope it doesn't seem too rushed._

_**I'm sure you guys already know what I'm about to say, but let me explain some thing really quick, just in case you don't know.**_

_**In Japanese, when "Kun" is added at the end of a name, it's usually to address little boys, just as "chan" is used to address little girls. However, if "kun" or "chan" is added at the end of an adults name when you're addressing them, like an enemy, it's usually to be disrespectful.**_

**_Also, I am trying to make their settings as close to Japanese culture as possible. Just in case you didn't know, a futon is a Japanese quilted mattress that is rolled onto the floor as a bed. So, when I say futon, I don't mean the half sofa, half bed, I mean the Japanese mattress you roll onto the floor! ^.^_**

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Itachi made it just in time, the black flames of Amaterasu scorched through the chakra chains. It was a gamble having his jutsu burn the chains but it _somehow _worked. If he made it a few seconds later, Naruto would have been bounded by Madara's strong attack. The Uchiha sprinted through the battleground, avoiding the pitch black flames of Amaterasu until he reached Naruto, who was wearing an expression of shock and amazement.

"Itachi" He uttered almost silently, still in disbelief that the man had saved him for the second time that day. "What are you doing here?" Hie eyed him incredulously.

Though he wasn't the only one confused by Itachi's sudden appearance. The loud noises that had come from thunderous battle had completely silenced after Amaterasu cleared Madara's band of soldiers and now the battleground had become almost noiseless. The only audible sound was the whistle of the wind.

The eyes of the leaf shinobi's were all on him, wondering why on Earth did he just save them.

But, like a stone dropping in a desolate canyon, the quietude was interrupted when Kabuto snickered, "Itachi-_kun_, I see you couldn't just wait to see me again."

Itachi didn't respond to his jeer, instead, he told Naruto, "I had found Kabuto where he was hiding," he scrutinized the cloaked man on the ground, "though it appears he escaped to be here with Madara."

"Kabuto?" Naruto choked. His expression of disbelief contorted to one of anger. The same Kabuto who aided Orochimaru in taking Sasuke, had also brought back people from the dead. The same person who had brought _ero sennin_ back from the dead. His expression twisted.

"We're going to need to keep Kabuto alive if we want to stop the ero tensei. If we kill him, then there will be no way to stop the jutsu. But first," his gaze turned to meet Naruto's for the first time since he arrived. "We're going to have to seal your sensei first."

"I must say, I'm rather impressed by you Itachi. You're the only shinobi out of the hundreds we summoned to get out of the control of the edo tensei. As expected of my former pupil." Madara mocked. "But, I see Sasuke's not with you. Looks like you couldn't convince him to follow the path you tried to force him on."

"Sasuke," Naruto rasped, the apprehension in his voice evident. "You saw Sasuke, Itachi?" He asked hurriedly, the words running in together almost sounding like one.

"Yes." Itachi answered plainly. "But, now is not the time to talk about that. We need to defeat them first."

He knew Itachi was right. This wasn't the time to talk about Sasuke. There was too much at stake and although he didn't like it, it would have to wait until later.

"Don't be so sure you will win Itachi. With my rinnengan, your sharingan is useless against me." The man in the mask sneered.

"In the past I would have tried to fight you despite this fact, but now I know in order to win, I have to let my comrades help me." Itachi informed him. "Naruto, stay close." Together, the pair jumped over the flames towards their enemy, but the masked Uchiha jumped back and stretched his arms in front of him. Immediately the ground below began to rumble. The tremor so powerful, the whole country was shaking.

"He's summoning another beast statue!" Naruto yelled, making sure he was loud enough that his friends several feet behind him heard him clearly. The massive statue birthed from the ground. Roaring as it pulled itself out of the Earth. The creature was a lot smaller than the Demonic statue Naruto had fought earlier, making him wonder what state the man in the mask was really in.

Together Naruto, Itachi, and B produced some of their strongest jutsus, causing the newly summoned demon statue to falter a bit. From Itachi's, peripheral vision he saw the edo tensei Jiraiya dash towards them, as he spun on his heel to create his spitting fire jutsu, He saw the rest of the Konoha shinobis jump into the battle, going after Naruto's dead teacher. Though, not everyone jumped into battle, he realized. The pink haired kunoichi Naruto was friends with, stayed away from the battle; he assumed she was the medical ninja. Was she the one trained by the legendary Tsunade-sama?

Itachi's thoughts had been broken when the statue began slamming its large fists into the ground, trying to strike him and the others as if they were insects.

A combined effort of the younger Shinobi's, Kakashi, and Gai, it was easy for them to overwhelm the former toad sage. With a proper plan, it wasn't long before they outsmarted and defeated the mindless Jiraiya. After defeating him, Kakashi together with Gai, sealed the toad sage, making him unusable to Kabuto. Now that the legendary sannin out of the way, the leaf shinobis joined the fight against the demon statue. It had been a lot stronger than they were used to, but with several people fighting it, it didn't take much longer for them to take out the statue as well. All together, the shinobis used their most powerful jutsus, sending the behemoth creature crashing to its death.

Uchiha Madara threw his chakra chains yet again, in an attempt to bind, Itachi, Naruto, and B. But it was to no avail, the three shinobi evaded the attack. From training with him in the past, Itachi realized there was something quite wrong with Madara. Was he dying?

The masked man, transported out of his range of vision. With his sharingan he searched for his old sensei, until a giant surge of fire flew towards him. He and the rest of the shinobi managed to dodge it, but soon realized they weren't its target. It was intended for the pink haired kunoichi that wasn't participating in the battle. She managed to get out of the way, but didn't notice that Madara had moved to her blind spot. He attempted to attack her again, but impulsively, Itachi used his Susano'o, to protect her from the strong attack.

It was then, Kabuto jumped from the spot he had been sitting in. Itachi detected his movement, but was too slow to protect himself and the snake sage latched his sharp teeth into his neck. From using the Susano'o to shield Sakura, Kabuto knew Itachi's reactions would be too late to defend himself. Sharp fangs split through his hardened skin and unique venom spewed into him, a searing pain travelled through his body. He fell to his knees, paralyzed from the strange attack. His vision blurred, and made the sight before him into a nebulous band of colors. It was then, he realized this was their plan from the start. He scolded himself for being so careless, but the thought was short-lived. His face smashed into the dry, ground. Eyes closed and then everything went dark.

**_[o]_**

Madara slowly walked away from the kunoichi. He knew Itachi well enough that he would foolishly sacrifice himself to save his former villagers. The girl had made it too easy by standing far from the field. It was the perfect opportunity.

He briskly sauntered towards Kabuto. Their eyes locked onto each other, communicating through unspoken messages. This fight did not go as he intended, but he still had another plan he could execute and phase one had already commenced.

"He's ready." The snake sage leered, his long tongue flicking against his lips. His rough hands stroking Itachi's ebony locks possessively.

"Finally." Madara mumbled under his breath. He felt the eyes of all the leaf shinobis on him, cautiously and diligently watching his movements. But, he did not have the time for them, not now. For the time being, Itachi would do.

_**[o]**_

Naruto stared in shock as Itachi fell to the ground. _  
_

"He's ready." He heard Kabuto say, followed by what unmistakably sounded like "Finally."

Wholly not accepting they would just attack Itachi and leave with him as if he were merely an object. Naruto mustered what little chakra he had left. Enraged, the red chakra surged throughout his entire body: the strength of the nine-tailed fox. Naruto didn't hesitate. Shouting, he jumped in the gap between Madara and Itachi. The two began to fight each other once again. Naruto hurled rasenshurikens at him, but to his dismay the man leapt out of the way.

As Madara began to form hand seals to create his next attack, he stopped unexpectedly and grabbed onto his right arm, the appendage went limp at his side. Instead of his using the rest of his energy to fight he transported next to Kabuto, "We'll finish this battle another time."

"But what about the Uchiha?" the bespectacled man asked hurriedly

"We dont have time!" he grabbed the snake sage's shoulder and teleported them from the scene using his time and space jutsu.

"Get the fuck back here!" Naruto roared, running towards them, but by the time he reached them, they had entirely disappeared. "Fuck!" Naruto shrieked, infuriated the men had left before the battle was over. "They've got to be around here somewhere!"

Using her Byakugan, Hinata meticulously searched the land that had stretched on for miles. "Naruto…I-I checked in within a 100-mile radius and I don't detect them anywhere."

"Dammit." He cursed under his breath. "Thank you."

With flushed cheeks, she stuttered, "Y-y-your welcome."

Naruto sighed. The pair walked towards his friends who cautiously encircled Itachi, who, at this point was still unmoving. Kakashi rolled the Uchiha over. This was the first time any of them had really seen his face. If any of them had actually encountered the former Akatsuki member, they had seen nothing but his eyes. The tall collar of his cloak had usually covered his face.

Dark, long eyelashes rested against his pale cheeks. The grooves that travelled from his eyes to his cheeks gave him a hardened appearance, despite having a delicate face. It was astonishing how much he resembled his younger brother, though the older Uchiha's face was much more angular and matured. To say he was attractive was being modest. The group looked on with some stupefaction, for being known as one of the most dangerous shinobi, he looked so serene, so...harmless.

Sakura sat beside him and checked for his pulse. She pressed two fingers onto his neck and then onto his wrist, feeling the throbbing of his pulse under her fingertips. Her mouth dropped in disbelief, "He's...alive."

"Alive?" Kakashi inquired, not quite believing what she had said. "Are you sure, Sakura?"

"I felt his pulse. He's definitely alive." She affirmed.

"How is that possible?" Gai asked, though his question went unanswered because no one knew how it was possible. They all looked up at Naruto who had just walked up, his friends studied him with questioning eyes.

"Why was he helping us, Naruto?" Sakura asked him firmly, still in shock that Itachi had actually saved her.

"He's...not a bad guy." Naruto declared.

"Right. Except for the fact that he murdered his entire clan and was a part of Akatsuki!" Kiba shouted.

Naruto frowned and closed his eyes. Through clenched teeth he hissed, "You wouldn't understand."

It was now Choji who spoke. "Wouldn't understand? Naruto, he killed his people and even tried to kill you..."

"Think about all the things he put Sasuke through!" Ino shouted hysterically.

"Enough." Kakashi demanded. "In any case, he knows something, so we should bring him back to Konoha."

Kiba pressed on, still cynical about helping the unconscious Uchiha. "Are you crazy? The guy is a criminal! How do you know he's not just tricking us?"

"He's not...trust me" Naruto attempted to assure his friends, but their expressions of skepticism said he failed.

"Fine, but if he attacks us this is on your head." Kiba asserted.

Kakashi hauled Itachi onto his back; a bit surprised the tall ninja was actually a lot lighter than he would have thought. Judging from Naruto's reaction, Kakashi had an inkling that what the masked man had told Naruto, Yamato, and himself about Itachi's past was in fact true.

Just as the group began sprinting back to Konoha, Shikamaru vocalized his own doubts. "Are you sure this isn't just a trap? Maybe Madara wants us to think he left so he can ambush us and that could be very troublesome."

"...During the fight, when he sent out his strange army he kept grabbing his arm like it was bothering him," Sakura mentioned. "I think he was injured."

"That's right... When we were fighting his arm dropped at his side. It was like he couldn't move it anymore." Naruto observed. "And after he attacked...Itachi, Kabuto said 'he was ready.'"

"Ready? For what?" The group asked in unison.

"I don't know..."

_**[o]**_

After hours of travelling the team settled down to rest. Between masking their chakra and settling between the tall trees of the forest, they were undetectable. Kakashi placed the Uchiha on the ground, who at this point still had not woken up or moved any.

The group of shinobis sat around a fire Kakashi had prepared, more than happy to finally rest. They stretched their limbs out and drank water greedily. It had been a while since any of them had eaten, but since they rushed to find Naruto, no one had time bring food. They chatted tirelessly about the uncertainty of how the war was going to turn out. At this point, they weren't sure how long it would be before Uchiha Madara made a reappearance.

Sakura stared into the roaring fire. Admiring the hues of the flames burning and consuming the logs they were perched on. The fire was beautiful, but disastrous. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, thinking back to how Itachi had saved her. She was still in disbelief that he risked his life for _her._ What she couldn't understand is why. She had seen him once, perhaps twice before. He killed his clan, _Sasuke's_ clan, and now someone she loved so much was swallowed up by hate because of the same man who had protected her. Frustrated from not being able to understand, she unconsciously chewed on her fingernails. A habit she had a tough time trying to break.

"Is everything alright, Sakura?" Kakashi asked. He had taken notice of something being wrong when she engaged in her anxious habit.

Surprised by the use of her name, she shot her gaze to meet his instantly and smiled nervously, "Y-y-yeah. I'm just tired, Kakashi-sensei." she stammered, hoping her forced smile and cheap lie would hide her embarrassment. Kakashi-sensei knew her more than most people and she was mortified he knew exactly what she was thinking about.

After feeling well rested the group set off to Konoha. They maneuvered through the terrain, not slowing down unless they needed to. It was crucial they returned to Konoha at once, just in case Madara had his own plans for the village.

_**[o]**_

It had taken several hours, but the leaf ninja finally made back to Konoha. They were not surprised to be greeted by ecstatic villagers who believed the war was over.

Kakashi, who had been carrying Itachi, slipped into the village invisibly. Now was the time for the villagers to see the ostracized shinobi. He rushed to the Hokage's residence, knowing it would be smart if their leader knew about their predicament. He knocked on the large doors of her office and was soon greeted by the Hokage's most trusted companion Shizune. Kakashi entered the office, only to have the Godaime eye the man Kakashi on his back suspiciously. His hood had been flipped over his head and his face had been covered with an anbu mask, provided by Sai, making his identity unknown.

"Who is that, Kakashi?"

"Godaime-sama, we need to talk." Kakashi suggested. He proceeded to gently place the limp body in the chair opposite from Tsunade, and removed the mask off the mysterious person. She squinted her eyes trying to discern the young man's face, but it wasn't until he pulled back the hood back did Tsunade's confused face contort in surprise.

Aware of her bafflement, Kakashi spoke before she utter a noise, "He helped us fight Madara."

"Madara? What do you mean Madara? Kakashi, we were fighting Madara. The man you fought who has taken that name is not the legendary Uchiha Madara. The real one was brought back from the dead, right in front of our eyes and we were fighting him." She flustered that the war was still no over and the masked man was at large. "The only reason the battle ceased was because a coffin manifested and closed around him. He disappeared. We don't know what happened. We waited for hours and there as no sign of him. We sent a group of soldiers after we left to check on our villages, but they reported there was no one there."

It was then, Kakashi informed her of the battle that had taken place. They both came to the conclusion that when the masked man disappeared all of his soldiers did, as well. It was shocking, to say the least, that the enemy they had been fighting all along was not who they thought he was. This situation was becoming stranger and stranger.

"I thought he was dead…." Tsunade muttered after some time, her eyes on Itachi.

"He is, well, was." Kakashi then had to explain their battle earlier and how when he shielded Sakura, Kabuto attacked and his bite had caused him to transform or become alive again, he wasn't sure what it meant exactly, but he hadn't woken up or moved since. He didn't tell her about Itachi's past. Thinking it would be wise to find out for himself, if it were actually true.

The Hokage was stunned. She studied the unconscious young man in front of her. "I see. Have Sakura look after him. Since he saved her, it's only fair that she repays him the favor and gets him back to proper health. When he wakes up make sure he speaks to me first. I want to have a meeting and find out what his involvement with this masked man is and what his intentions are helping us."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

_**[o]**_

After a long night's rest Sakura had arrived at the Hokage's residence. Kakashi had came to her home earlier that morning to tell her Tsunade expected her to take care of Uchiha Itachi. She understood why she was chosen for the job, but that didn't make her feel any better about having to watch over the criminal. Despite saving her from death, she still harbored deep hatred for him. It was because of him Sasuke never had a proper childhood, lost his family and left the village at all. He was also a terrorist that was after Naruto's life at some point. Not to mention, was also a member of Akatsuki, the syndicate who destroyed her precious village. As much as she thought he didn't deserve to live, Tsunade-sama wanted him to stay alive because he knew something about the masked man that they didn't.

On the third floor of the Hokage's residence, was an isolated room tucked away from usual visitors. It had been the room Itachi had been placed in. The Godaime finding it smart to keep the enemy near, so she could deal with him herself it things went awry. Sakura entered the room not surprised to see Shizune was in checking on him.

"Oh, Sakura! How are you this morning?"

"Just a little tired." She smiled. "Is he alright?"

"He still hasn't woken up, but he has shown signs of movement."

Sakura nodded and kneeled to the ground where he laid on a futon. Shizune had already stripped his red coat off the night before. Underneath he had worn a blue shirt, with a mesh undershirt. It was the first time Sakura had seen him without something covering him. He was a lot slimmer than she had imagined. The coat had made him to seem fuller than what he actually was. It still surprised her to see him in such a state of helplessness. "Do you think we're doing the right thing by helping him?"

"I was wondering that myself, Sakura. But Tsunade-sama says, as much as she doesn't want to help him, we must. He knows a lot that we don't and if he was helping Naruto, then maybe he can help us."

Sakura agreed, though not entirely convinced. Both women had become quiet, doing menial tasks such as checking his heart beat and drawing blood. Eventually, Sakura had been left alone with the unconscious Itachi, while Shizune left to test his blood samples.

Sakura surveyed the man on the ground, comparing his features to Sasuke. A clenching feeling in her chest as she studied him. Seeing him made her long for Sasuke. She wasn't sure how she felt about him now, but she often couldn't help but miss the Sasuke that was a part of their team three years ago. She sighed, feeling dejected. The events that occurred thus far were unbelievable and she was worried about the eventual outcome. Would they lose more lives to this awful war? Would Sasuke _ever_ return to the village?

With one slender finger, she softly stroked Itachi's jaw line with fascination. He sickened her and yet, she was transfixed by his vulnerability. As the single digit traced his pale face, crimson liquid dripped from his eyes, rolled down his porcelain colored cheeks and onto her finger. Her eyes widened as the blood dripped from his eyes onto her fingers. She quickly lifted his eyelids to check for any lesions on his eyes. As she parted the thin skin, she gasped in surprise and withdrew her hands.

He was staring at her.

He grabbed her wrists pulling himself close up to her. His vermilion, bleeding eyes staring into her emerald ones.

"_What_ are you doing?"

* * *

**I know Madara/Tobi/The Masked man is very powerful, but there's a reason for his running away, which will make a lot more sense later.**

**If you have any questions, comments or concerns please let me know!**

**Thanks for reading. If you have the time, please review! xo**


	4. The Truth

_**A/N: I still do not own Naruto. *pout**_

_**Just so you know (which you guys already may) before people eat in Japan, the polite thing to say is "Itadakimasu" which pronounced phonetically is E-ta-da-key-moss (the u at the end is pretty much silent) It means something along the lines of "Thank you for the meal." It is a polite thing to say before you start eating.**_

_**This a long chapter, so prepare for it's lengthiness!**_

* * *

Dark and desolate. These were the only words that came to mind for what had felt like an eternity. He wasn't completely aware of where he was or what he was, but there was a searing pain in his form.

It wasn't physical pain or something that could be eventually cured as this slow eternity dragged on. It was a continuous qualm tormenting him-_whatever he was_. As time proceeded he formulated words for these feelings–despair, sorrow, regret, guilt…. He knew that whatever was the cause of this must have meant he had not completed what he had meant to. Though he had no idea what that was.

For what seemed an eternity in the pitch darkness all had suddenly ended. Light had now infiltrated his world. The bright lights made him wince and feel a whole different kind of pain –physical pain. It was a stinging pain in his eyes. Slowly he unveiled his vision from the thin skin cloaking them. The vivid image he perceived was remarkable. Now that he was no longer trapped in darkness, he couldn't help but take in the invigorating colors he now perceived.

Once the fascination subsided he instantly remembered everything that only momentarily ago, he could not recall. He felt a pang of the all too familiar agonizing pain he felt in the darkness.

He was living through memories that had occurred in the past. Shurikens piercing wooden poles, long hours reading the Uchiha tablet, and returning to an empty home. The feeling was agonizing. But then it occurred to him, these memories were not his.

He felt dark, miserable power flowing through him, and he realized this power was not his either.

Visions continued to flash through his mind. One minute he was fighting alongside Naruto, Kakashi, and their pink-haired teammate and the next he was against them.

Just as he was running to strike the pink-haired girl with Chidori, the entire scenery changed. Everything was dark again and he felt soft fingertips dance along his face. Then eventually the two small fingers pried open his eyelids, emerald eyes peering into his.

He heard a gasp and the girl stumbled back.

To keep her from fleeing, he sat up and seized her wrists pulling her close to him. He drilled his gaze deeply into hers, searching, questioning. The action making her cheeks flush to a pigment similar to her pink hair.

"What are you doing?"

Before she could formulate some ridiculous excuse, he released her small wrists and bowed over in pain. His hands covered his eyes from the unpleasant awakening.

Sakura had been so embarrassed by her actions that she had forgotten his eyes were bleeding. Immediately, she retrieved gauze, dressings, and painkillers. Although Tsunade-sama had ordered her to heal him, she wasn't going to do so until she found out his motives. His one good deed of helping them did not erase the atrocities he committed in the past.

"Did your eyes get hurt during the battle?" she inquired, while she handed him a towel to wipe the blood from his face.

"Where am I?" he ignored her question.

"You're safe. We're making sure you recover."

"I'm dead," he deadpanned.

Sakura stared at him incredulously, not knowing where to begin. She opened her mouth several times to say something only to close it when the right words wouldn't come out.

"After Kabuto attacked you..." she paused, trying to form her words carefully. "You're alive. I don't know how, but you're...alive."

Through squinted, bleeding eyes, he scrutinized her, making her shrink from his intense gaze. As far-fetched as her story was it made sense. Firstly, he was able to feel physical aches. His body was in pain, he felt fatigued and he was hungry. But more importantly he could see. Before he died he went completely blind, and yet when he was brought back in the edo tensei his vision had been completely restored. At the time he assumed it was part of the summoning technique, though now he knew that wasn't the case.

From his encounter with his brother he knew the younger Uchiha had grown tremendously in strength since their last meeting. But _how_?

When he ran into Sasuke in the forest, the younger Uchiha had easily gained control of the lower level Susasno'o, something that should take the average Uchiha several years to master, that is unless their eyes were experienced in controlling such a jutsu. He pondered the notion for a bit until the realization hit him.

_Sasuke had taken his eyes._

Which could only mean that the eyes he was now seeing the world with must be Sasukes. That would explain why he was having these memories that he had no recollection of. Now he understood. Both Madara and Kabuto were trained in medicine and must have transplanted Sasuke's eyes into his sockets before using the edo tensei. He wouldn't be a useful pawn if he were sans eyes.

However what was troubling was that giving him Sasuke's eyes would make him awaken the eternal mangekyou sharingan, which would be a disadvantage for them. So why did they do it?

Their motives remained unclear but perhaps this girl, Sakura, his mind kept correcting him, could give some clues to finding out what happened after he collapsed.

"Where is Madara?"

The girl looked troubled by the question, but after sometime she finally articulated her thoughts. "Oh, that's right you don't know… Naruto tried to fight them but they left suddenly."

"He teleported?"

"Right."

"Naruto didn't kill him?" it was a rhetorical question.

"No, he left before Naruto could. I think he was injured. He stopped fighting during the battle and he left."

Pain circulated Itachi's eyes and he buried his face into his right hand, as if the action of holding it would make him feel less pain. His eyes felt like they were burning, the pain so severe it was nauseating. But he hid any indication of pain under a stoic mask, the last thing he wanted was to appear weak in front of the girl.

"You should rest, if you put any more strain on your eyes, they won't heal."

"Where am I?"

She should have known better to think he would just listen to her suggestion. "You're in the Hokage's residence."

For a moment she witnessed a look of surprise on his face but he immediately cleared the expression.

He pushed back the quilt that had been covering his legs and began to steadily stand up but instantly fell to his knees, cradling his eyes as the sensation continued to burn.

"You _need _to rest. You're going to worsen the condition of your eyes if you keep straining them," her tone of voice now more forceful. She was growing more and more exasperated.

Stubbornly, he disregarded her command, although he knew she was right. If he had been somewhere else, then he would have adhered to her demands, but he was in Konoha and he did not belong in the village. The thought of being vulnerable in the village made him feel uneasy.

A multitude of visions flashed in his mind. Sasuke struggling, crying, and eventually becoming this hollow shell, only physically looking like the little brother he once had. Everything Sasuke had ever faced or felt he could now see too.

Again, he stood up slowly, while he cradled half of his face into his hands. He tiredly dragged his long legs across the ground, trying to find his coat and his shoes. He needed to leave at once. He couldn't remain in his old village where he murdered his own people. He did not deserve to be here.

On impulse, Sakura jumped to her feet and grabbed his arms, attempting to keep him from leaving. Though she instantly regretted the action when she remembered just whom she was standing up to. She silently hoped she did not anger him.

"I can not stay here, Kunoichi-San," he said smoothly, surprising her with his formalities.

"If I had an option I wouldn't help you. But, the Hokage urges that you stay here until you recover. Until then I think it's best that you rest. Your eyes are sensitive and using them is only causing more damage," her voice was vehement and it wasn't hard to notice the flash of hatred in her eyes.

She stared at him, though she avoided meeting his eyes. Her grip on his arms did not loosen.

Standing so close to him, it was only then did she realize how tall he was. He towered over her by several inches. She guessed he was about Kakashi-sensei's height. The height difference made her feel even more intimidated to be alone with him.

After a brief staring contest he nodded, finally listening to her request. He pulled away and sat back down on the futon.

She held the dressings up to his face, "I'm going to wrap this around your eyes. Covering them will let them properly heal."

Itachi didn't say anything, instead his eyes studied her, making her feel uncomfortable in her skin. She silently cursed Tsunade for leaving her alone with such an eerie man, _Itachi_ of all people. She inwardly groaned.

After much mental preparation she positioned herself to his side. He held the dressings in place, while she wrapped them around his head. As a medical ninja, she was used to touching her patients, but the fact that this was Itachi, made her incredibly nervous.

Remembering the battle, she still couldn't help but wonder why he had risked himself for her. He was a cold-blooded murderer, what was her one life compared to people in his clan? Why would he ruin so many lives and yet put himself in danger to save her? She was a stranger, his enemy! The thought did not sit well with her.

"Why did you help me?" she asked as her hands meticulously wrapped the dressings around his head.

"There are some things you would not understand, Kunoichi-san."

She groaned at his response. "My name is Sakura and that doesn't answer my question." She secured the dressings at the back of his head forcefully, making him wince as the dressings tightened around his delicate eyes. "Why did you save me?" the frustration was apparent in her voice.

"Sa-" Just as he began to respond, the door opened and Shizune walked in holding a tray of food.

"Oh, Uchiha-San, you're awake! I brought you breakfast. Sakura is everything alright here?" The woman asked as she placed the tray of food on a short table in the room.

Sakura inwardly groaned. It was just her luck. "Yes. It seems…Uchiha-san's eyes were injured during the battle. I wrapped them in dressings so he wouldn't strain them from using them."

The older woman nodded. "Great. Tsunade-sama was wondering if he had woken. I'll let her know you're still recovering." Shizune then addressed Itachi, "She is leaving for a meeting and will be away for a few days but she will want to meet with you when she returned. Is that okay with you, Uchiha-san?"

The man's head moved to face where she was standing, unnerving Shizune a little. "Yes. That is fine." He answered in his typical level tone.

"Your meal is on the table," Shizune informed him.

"Aah. Thank you." He walked over to the table with ease despite his eyes being covered.

His stomach roared loudly, when the aroma of the miso soup and broiled fish tingled his senses. Softly, he clapped his hands together in a prayer position. "Itadakimasu," he muttered before he began eating. Which only gained him even more baffled stares from the two women in the room.

"We'll return when you're done eating," Shizune informed him, to which he responded 'yes.' Sakura followed Shizune out of the room, giving Itachi one last look before she stepped out.

To his satisfaction, The miso soup was delightful. The tofu and green onions in the soup were quite savory. The broiled fish also pleased his taste buds. He hadn't often eaten meat, but the salmon was moist and succulent.

The food had been a lot better than he would expect to be served and he was taken aback by the Hokage's generosity.

The hospitality had reminded him of why he had loved Konoha and its people so much, though it was contrary to how they felt about him.

He was a monster in everyone's eyes, a sociopath who killed in order to test his true strength. It was what he spent his entire life trying to make himself appear to be, but it wasn't until after death did he realize he was foolish. Perhaps he could have dealt with the situation differently, but it was too late now. He could only make up for what he had done in his past life by becoming an ally of the Shinobi Forces, though they might be reluctant to accept his help.

* * *

The women had walked to the end of the hall, putting distance between them and Itachi's room.

Contrary to Sakuras bewildered expression, Shizune looked unperturbed.

"I guess underneath that scary exterior, he hasn't changed much at all," the older woman smirked.

Sakura quirked a pink eyebrow at the remark, "What do you mean?"

Shizune looked out the large window in the hall. "When I was a few years older than you are now, my assigned team and I were given an A-rank mission. It was the first one we went on without our team leader, but there was a catch. Another person was assigned to our group. They told us an Uchiha would be working with us, so we assumed it would be Uchiha Shisui." She laughed. "When we were about to depart for the mission this small child approached us. Itachi. We were hoping it was a joke. Why would they send a child on this type of mission? Our team was not very happy about it and took it up with the Sandaime. I remember him saying, 'Just give him a chance,' and so we had to."

Sakura listened intently to Shizune's story. It was hard to picture Itachi as a child. The only stories she had ever heard of Itachi as a child was about the atrocious slaughtering of his clan. But she often wonder, was there ever a time before he became the monster he is now?

"If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have made it from that mission. We were good shinobis, but the enemy was better. They ambushed us and were about to capture us, but Itachi caught them with a genjutsu and took them out. We were amazed! We heard he was a genius but to actually see his talent was truly remarkable. When we returned to Konoha we were a bit worried that he would let it get to his head and tell the Sandaime that he had to rescue us, but he didn't."

She smiled thinking of the memory. "He told the Hokage, 'it was a group effort.' It wasn't until then that we really acknowledged him as a comrade. Only 11 years old and already so wise beyond his years."

Her smiled quickly turned into a frown as she continued to think about the past. "When the massacre happened, we were devastated. No one believed it when we heard Itachi was behind it. He was just too kind to kill for selfish purposes. Even now when I think about it I don't feel like he acted on his own, but that's what we've been told."

Shizune's story had contradicted this image Sakura had of Itachi. But from what Sasuke told her, he was the master of deception, so appearing to be a caring comrade probably fit in his plan somehow. Itachi was a master manipulator.

"Sasuke saw him do it though," Sakura mustered out.

Shizune frowned. "It's a shame really. He had a lot of potential," she admitted.

"Why is Tsunade-sama putting so much trust in him? Even enough to leave him unattended for a few days..." Sakura trailed off. She didn't quite like the idea of the famed killer being loose in her beloved village. Needless to say she was concerned.

"She wouldn't have otherwise but Kakashi and Naruto vowed that she had nothing to worry about. Even promising they would tell her their reasoning if Itachi didn't tell her at the meeting in a couple of days."

She knew she should trust Kakashi and Naruto's judgement but it was hard to do so with everything she knew about the Uchiha.

Almost on cue, Naruto's loud and obnoxious voice echoed in the hallway and Kakashi had appeared right next to her, out of seemingly nowhere.

"Yo!" Kakashi waved, smiling under his mask.

"Sakura-chan! Shizune nii-chan" Naruto greeted the women.

"What are you guys doing here?" Sakura questioned.

"Just seeing if my student was still in one piece." Kakashi answered. "Has he woken up?"

"Yes, he's awake, but his eyes are injured."

"We need to talk to him."

"About what?" she probed.

"Just some things I need to clarify."

Sakura looked down at her feet, frustrated. Naruto and Kakashi were always hiding things from her. It was frustrating that after all these years of being in a team they would exclude her from something like this.

"It's about Sasuke, isn't it?" she asked only to receive a gloomy expression from Naruto.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto's tone was serious, "I won't always be able to include you, even though I want to," her eyes locked with his blue ones, "…but I promise that we're going to do whatever it takes to get Team 7 back. You just need to trust me," he gave her a reassuring 'thumbs up' and smiled.

It wasn't quite the answer she was looking for, but really, what could she do? She nodded and watched both her men go into the room, closing the door behind them.

* * *

Itachi sensed two figures walk into the room. Despite having his eyes bandaged up, he was able to tell exactly who the two people were from reading their chakra.

"Hatake Kakashi, Naruto," He addressed them.

"Uchiha Itachi." Kakashi reciprocated. "We need to talk."

"Ah. What is that you wish to speak to me about?"

Both Naruto and Kakashi sat across the table from the dark haired man.

"After your battle with Sasuke? The man in the mask spoke to Naruto, Yamato and I and-"

"You wanted to know if what he told you about the massacre was indeed correct?" he finished Kakashi's sentence. "Yes. It is true."

Kakashi had deduced as much from Naruto's reaction to the older Uchiha, which was why he vouched for him when he talked to Tsunade. Truth be told he just wanted to hear it from Itachi himself.

"Why didn't you tell anyone the truth?"

"That was not an option. It was either let the Uchiha clan lose its honor or become a criminal. I could not taint the reputation of my people for my sake."

It was then Kakashi realized how hard it must have been for Itachi. He was only thirteen when he was forced to murder his own people. It was something no person his age, or anyone, should ever have to do. Really, It was amazing how he accepted the mission and carried the heavy burden alone for the sake of Konoha.

He was an uncredited hero.

"I understand." He paused briefly. "Now that I know what your motives were, I understand your actions a little better. In all of our encounters, tou've had several opportunities to kill us and yet you never acted on it, but now I realize it is because we were never your enemy." And it was true. Any encounter they had with the Uchiha he would simply toy with them, but he would never draw blood, and certainly never kill.

"You also used the mangekyou sharingan knowing that I would learn the technique. I assume that was on purpose as well."

A small smirk appeared on Itachi's lips. Kakashi was a man who played close attention to details. It was something he admired about the older man.

The copy ninja continued, "You know it's not too late for you. I'm sure Tsunade can think of a reason for you to return to the village."

Itachi's smirk disappeared as he pondered over the idea. While he couldn't deny there was a part of him that wanted to come back to the village, he knew it was unwise. He simply did not deserve to be in Konoha. That was his fate and he accepted it a long time ago.

Suddenly, he felt another sharp pain pierce his eyes and he doubled over in agony. He hadn't realized the process of exchanging eyes would be this painful. Now that he was alive again, he was able to feel the aftermath of using his genjutsu before his new eyes adjusted to his body.

"Are you alright?" a concerned Naruto wanted to know.

"I'm fine," he answered blandly.

"Are you still having trouble with your eyes? You know, Sakura is a very advanced medical ninja. She could heal your eyes." Kakashi said.

"Yeah, Sakura-chan is the best! She could definitely help you" Naruto added enthusiastically.

To which Itachi declined. His eyes were only in pain because he used them in battle before they adjusted to his body. But they did not know that. And he decided he should explain to them about trading eyes between those who have awakened the Mangekyou sharingan.

"These eyes are not mine," Itachi finally responded. He didn't have to see Kakashi and Naruto to know they wore a confused expression on their face. He explained the story of Madara and how he was able to obtain the eternal mangekyou sharingan when his brother, Izuna, let him have his eyes. Then he proceeded to inform him how Sasuke had taken his eyes after he died and assumed Madara or Kabuto placed Sasukes eyes in his eye sockets so he could be of use to them when they revived him with the edo tensei.

"I'm going that masked guy's ass," Naruto growled.

"Don't get too hasty, Naruto." Kakashi warned in response.

"Itachi." The blonde halted. "Did Sasuke… is he-"

"He still intends to attack Konoha." Itachi responded.

"Damn it." Naruto cursed.

When it came to his younger brother, Naruto wasn't one to hide his feelings. The kid truly cared about Sasuke and would do anything to protect him. It was surprising really, how they had a mutual understanding of each other. To them, Sasuke's well being was among the utmost importance.

"I may be able to make him question his plans, but, Naruto I believe you are the only person who can change his mind." Itachi said after some time. He knew his brother cared for him, but he felt the relationship between Naruto and his brother were much more complex. Perhaps even stronger.

"…Thanks, Itachi."

* * *

After her team's short meeting with Itachi, they left to meet with Tsunade. The duo needing to disclose information to the Hokage. Sakura returned to the room to examine Itachi for any injuries. She was expected to turn in a report regarding his health to Tsunade. Apparently her shishou had taken an interest in Itachi's health. Perhaps Tsunade detected something the she had not.

Itachi was sitting against the wall when she walked in. The sunlight that poured in through the window made him glow, giving him a celestial-like look. His head turned toward the door when she walked in. If his eyes weren't bandaged up she would have sworn he was staring at her.

"Kunoichi-san."

"How are your eyes feeling?"

"Fine."

"I was going to check you for any other damages you may have sustained during the battle. The Godaime wants to make sure you're in better health when she meets with you in a few days."

He silently regarded her demand and finally after sometime he sat beside her. His swift movements seem inhuman, she noted.

She placed a hand on his chest, the other on his back, searching for any injuries with the chakra gathered in her hands. There were no broken bones or lacerations, but after some time of examining him, something caught her attention.

His breathing was incredibly weak.

"Do you have lung problems?"

"I did."

"What was the cause? Bacterial? Fungal? Viral? Autoimmu-"

"I was never sure."

Her hands continued to probe around his back, directly behind his lungs. The damage was severe. "Why didn't you get treated?"

"There was no need to."

For a genius, that was a really stupid decision, she thought. "I have some medication that will relieve the pain and reduce any swelling."

"You do not trust me."

"_What?_"

"You are hesitant to use your medical ninjutsu because you do not trust me."

She was glad his eyes were covered because he would have noticed her dumbstruck expression. Of course, he would figure her out why she wasn't using her medical ninjutsu to heal him.

"You're right. I don't trust you."

"I understand."

"You under-"

"Because the actions I have committed in the past, I am not trusted by you and your fellow villagers."

"Actions? They weren't just actions. You murdered people, your clan, Sasuke's clan!"

"You love my brother, don't you, Sakura-san?"

Itachi was very perceptive. From being around him in such a short time he already knew so much about her. It almost made her feel violated that he could understand so much about her from so little. If it weren't for the question, she knew she would have reacted to the use of her name.

"Sasuke has always been family to Kakashi, Naruto and I. We were more of a family to him than you ever were."

"He does not consider you his family. He does not care for you. So, why do you cling to someone who has long forgotten about you?"

The remark made her calm face twist. This was a boundary he should not have crossed. She was infuriated.

Without thinking, she lashed her hand against his cheek, the sharp slap knocking his face to one side. At that moment she did not care about how powerful he may be, he would not disrespect her team's dream of bringing back their estranged team member.

Then it occurred to her that she slapped Itachi. Itachi of all people! She knew that although he had his eyes veiled he could have sensed her movement. He _let_ her slap him. This fact angered her, yet made her undeniably confused. He was a murderer. It didn't matter if he was injured or not. He killed his clan for simply sharing his surname. She could only imagine what he would do to her for slapping him. Instinctively, she went on guard, preparing herself for his retaliation. He may be faster than her but she still had an advantage since he was injured.

As she thought, the slap did not catch him off guard. However, he caught her off guard when he continued to speak instead of assaulting her. "You pretend to remain hopeful but you have given up on the idea long ago. You only pretend to remain hopeful for Naruto's foolish ideals, do you not?"

She was angry with him for being so despicable, but mostly angry with herself because he was right. She _had_ given up long ago. The Sasuke she once loved did not exist anymore. He was a memory, an apparition. As badly as that reality hurt she had accepted it long ago, what hurt worse was she didn't even believe in Naruto's dream anymore. She pretended to be confident for him, but really she thought it was a lost cause. She felt awful for be called out for her treachery. Tears welled in her emerald eyes, but she would not let them fall. How pitiful she must have seemed. She knew Itachi didn't have to see her face to know the words had really affected her. Perhaps this is why he was such an excellent shinobi, he could read a person's emotions and use it against them. She _hated_ him.

"What do you want?" she seethed.

"To know why you foolishly cling to false hope."

"Because unlike you, we actually care about Sasuke and what happens to him." Really she did, despite thinking they may never be able to bring him back to Konoha.

Itachi smirked. "Well, then I hope you are successful in convincing my foolish little brother into returning."

_That_ response she did not expect. Was he actually being sincere? Were all these questions a test to find what her loyalty to Sasuke was? She couldn't think of anything to say. Not for the first time that day, he left her speechless.

The silence that ensued was absolutely suffocating.

And instead of responding she opted to work on repairing his lungs with her medical ninjutsu, despite her initial vow that she would not. While she had her doubts about his motives, Naruto trusted him, and for that reason alone she would help him.

Until then she would keep a close eye on the Uchiha and find out what he was really up to.

* * *

Sakura walked home. The orange sun had illuminated the entire village. The wind felt cool against her skin. It was days like this that served as a reminder why Konoha was such a wonderful village to live in.

Much to her chagrin, her thoughts kept racing back to a certain Uchiha and it wasn't the same one it would have been just two days prior. Her time spent with Itachi was strange, to say the least. So far he had been acting the complete opposite to the image she had in her mind of him.

Up ahead, Sakura ran into the Konoha 11, save for Naruto and herself, who appeared to be in a lengthy discussion. Was something going on? The group had never really met up together in private unless they needed to converse about something of importance.

"Sakura, We were just talking about you," Ino addressed her, the others acknowleded her arrival also.

"What's going on here?" she asked. The last time the group had met up was to discuss Sasuke's whereabouts, which ultimately led to her trying to kill him.

They all stared at her seriously until Shikamaru spoke up. "We're discussing the possibility that Uchiha Itachi might in fact be a traitor."

Sakura felt a bit unnerved that several pairs of eyes were on her. "What does this have to do with me?"

"Well, you were assigned as his nurse. Perhaps you could keep close tabs on him." Tenten remarked.

"Are you questioning Tsunade-sama's decision?" While she did not exactly trust Itachi, she felt her shishou wouldn't make the decision to let him stay if she thought it was a bad one.

"Not her, but we know we can't really trust him." Choji stated.

"As the jonin of our generation we will eventually inherit Konoha. It is up to us to protect it, especially when someone may pose a threat. Since you're going to work with the Uchiha on a daily basis, you should be able to give us any information if he acts suspiciously," Shikamaru informed her.

Although she didn't exactly like the idea of spying on her own patient, she had to agree with her friends. He was suspicious and they couldn't take risks even though their Hokage wasn't wary of his presence. She agreed to their suggestions. Although her mind kept telling her it was a stupid idea, she would spy on Itachi.

* * *

Days had passed since she began healing him and he improved since their first meeting, but there was still a long road of recovery ahead. Fortunately his eyes had also improved and he no longer had to wear dressings on his eyes, which he was thankful for.

Sakura wasn't sure how it started or who initiated it, but after days of silence the two began to speak idly and she was astounded that he actually is quite pleasant to talk to. When it didn't involve serious matters, that is.

She found that he enjoys going to teashops and reading as his hobbies, contrary to what she would think his hobbies would be: torture and murder. In all honesty, she finds him interesting, but immediately she pushed the thought out of her mind. This was Uchiha Itachi, a sociopathic criminal, not just a person she could easily find herself spending time with. Just because they were actually having nice conversations wouldn't mean she would let her guard down around him. The way he was acting now didn't change who he was or what he had done in the past.

Still, she had been keeping tabs on him since her friends had asked, though as of late, he had done nothing to worth reporting. He was very cooperative every day they had spent together, something she had not been expecting.

After several days of idle talk, she couldn't help but continue to wonder why he saved her. "Uchiha-san…" she began, her voice assertive, "Why are you helping us?"

"I can not divulge my plans, however, I have no ill intentions."

She sighed. He still wasn't going to tell her his plans. She figured as much but expected it wouldn't hurt to try. She would figure it out eventually, but it was best not to provoke him.

After a while, Shizune popped back in, holding Tsunade's pet pig, Tonton. "Uchiha-san, the Hokage would like to speak with you." Tsunade had returned the day before from her meeting with the Kages. Now that Itachi did not have to wear the dressings around his eyes, she felt it was better to talk to him this way. Her shishou had always informed her that eye contact was important. One could identify honesty from eye contact with an individual.

Itachi nodded and followed her, only faltering to let Sakura catch up.

* * *

The conference room was located in the basement. When Konoha was being rebuilt after the fiasco with Pein, the Elders thought it would be smart to keep the room underground, making it virtually impossible for anyone to spy on them.

Tsunade was sitting at the end of the long table, with several forms laid out in front of her. Itachi sat at the far opposite end from Tsunade, while Sakura and Shizune sat in the middle.

"First of all, you are only here today because Naruto and Kakashi have a lot of trust in you. Otherwise you would have been killed immediately. Are we clear?" Tsunade jumped straight to business.

"Yes."

"I asked you here today because I want to know what your involvement with this masked man is."

Given a second chance at life, Itachi knew exactly what he had to do. Had he met with the Godaime before his death he would not have told her the details. As far as he was concerned, this was only information no one needed to know, but in order to gain her as an ally, he knew he needed to tell her such information. "Madara was an old mentor of mine and the one who assisted me in the massacre." As always his voice was unwavering and without emotion.

"If he was your accomplice in your atrocious crime, why are you after his life?"

"He is violating an agreement we once had."

"Which would be?"

"It is something you would not understand."

"Uchiha Itachi, you are not in a position to evade my questions."

"As the Hokage you have access to confidential records from all previous Hokages, do you not?"

The woman eyed him suspiciously. "Yes, what does that have to do with anything?"

"Though, I assume you have no records of me prior to my clan's massacre."

She thought about it for a moment, "No. I don't. Where are you going with this?"

"That is why I say it is something you would not understand."

Tsunade's patience was dwindling. Sakura was sure her own was too. The man was insufferable.

"As I said before, you are not in a position to evade my questions. There's no doubt that you are a powerful shinobi, but there are several powerful shinobis here that will fight you if you pose as a threat to us."

"I do not wish to fight you. I am your ally."

"Why?" The Godaime's voice had taken on a gruff tone.

"I would expect if I tell you, my request to keep this confidential would be honored." His gaze met all three women in the room. If this meeting occurred before he died he would have fought to the death and take his secret to the grave, but since he technically already did, there was no reason in hiding it anymore, especially if it would earn their trust. He needed to be their ally to fulfill his goal: To kill Uchiha Madara. Unfortunately, that involved letting them know everything about him.

"These two women I trust with my life. I assure you that whatever you inform us will not be repeated outside of this room." Tsunade said, the other two women also agreed.

Itachi held their gaze for sometime, until finally he spoke. "The Uchiha Massacre was an order I was given."

"_What?_" Sakura exclaimed. Though she may have been the only one to vocalized her disbelief. She noticed though that Tsunade and Shizune did not show any reaction, perhaps they figured it out a while ago and wanted to hear it for themselves. Sakura thought back to her meeting with Shizune in the hallway a couple of days ago. The older woman seemed so fond of Itachi when he was boy and even admitted she thought there some truth behind the massacre.

"That is correct."

"I-it was planned?" Sakura staggered.

"As I was a member of ANBU, my clan seized this as an opportunity to spy on the leaf. However, when I found out they were planning a coup d'etat against the village, I informed the Sandaime. He tried to establish negotiations with my clan, but it failed. The elders and Danzo had presented me with two options: let ANBU kill my clan or let me kill my clan. I chose to do it."

"Why?"

"If I did not, there would have been a commotion that the ANBU had slaughtered its own people. I was a shinobi of the leaf. The village's well being was above all."

They all had troubled expressions on their faces. They felt _sorry_ for him. Even though he would hate to be pitied.

Uchiha Itachi was nothing she thought he was. He was a double agent caught in the middle of a vile situation because he was a genius. A genius who had far surpassed his entire clan at the age of thirteen. Of course, he would have been chosen for such a horrible mission. He had been used by both his own clan and even the elders of Konoha and then thrown away when they did not need him anymore. Sakura's head felt like it was spinning from the revelation.

Tsunade broke the stark silence that had consumed the room. "How does Uchiha Madara fit into this?"

"The days leading up to the massacre I had noticed a questionable person stalking outside of the village. I approached the suspicious figure, to which he had addressed himself as Uchiha Madara. We spoke and he revealed his true intentions. I presented him with a bargain. If he left the village alone I would give him the opportunity to be my accomplice to murder our clan that had betrayed him. To which he complied."

"So that's how he violated your agreement…" Tsunade mumbled making sense of what the Uchiha said earlier.

"Yes."

"Why didn't you kill Sasuke?" Sakura queried. Her words voice had sounded as if she had just been punched in the stomach.

"He was a child, he had nothing to do with it and…I couldn't kill my brother."

She thought she saw a glint of sadness in his eyes, but it was over so fast she thought she imagined it. Did she actually hear a tinge of sorrow in his voice?

"But, why did you go through the trouble to make him detest you? To make him think you were this awful person…when you aren't?" She hesitated to say the last part, it felt so strange to address Itachi as not being awful.

"I wanted him to continue to believe our clan was honorable. Also, I would not be around forever to protect him, I had to get him strong some how."

"But to go such great lengths to get him to fight you!" She was surprised Tsunade didn't intervene, she assumed her teacher was curious herself.

"What better way for a person who murdered the Uchiha clan to die than by the hands of an Uchiha?"

Sakura looked away at this remark. It was preposterous but it made sense in morbid way. Sakura thought back to the time when Sasuke had tried to kill her and would have succeeded if Naruto hadn't shown up. When Naruto spoke to Sasuke he said something along the lines of "knowing the truth about Itachi." She felt stupid she hadn't pieced it together until now. Of course, Naruto wouldn't make such a gamble by rescuing a man who didn't deserve it. He knew all along, but couldn't tell them to. Itachi asked him not to. Her whole life she was told Itachi was this savage who murdered with selfish intent, but he wasn't that at all. He was detested because of misconceptions. The thought sickened her. What was worse was the elders had ruined his life and gone on without remorse. She felt even more enraged.

"What are your plans if you succeed?" Tsunade asked.

"To be quite honest, I am not sure. I never expected to be revived. Though as of right now, my only plans are to succeed in murdering Uchiha Madara."

Tsunade nodded. "I've heard enough. As of today, Uchiha Itachi, you are officially reinstated as citizen of the Leaf and an ally of the Shinobi Forces."

A small smile graced his lips.

"Thank you."

* * *

_**Final Note: Oh, it seems everyone wanted a piece of Itachi in this chapter! Imeanwhowouldntamiright?**_

_**I debated forever when to make Sakura find out, but I found that it would fit my story better if she found out earlier on.**_

_**Sorry, if the theme seemed repetitive, but it's quite important for the next chapter!**_

_**Please review if you have the time, it means a lot when you guys do! Thanks a lot ^.^**_


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